Assessment of early side effects of radiotherapy in breast cancer patients
Background: Breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women. In radiotherapy practice, it comprises 25% of patient caseload. This makes understanding the breast irradiation toxicities of prime importance. Early radiation toxicities occur during treatment and up to six months after treatment finished....
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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College of Medicine University of Baghdad
2016-10-01
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| Series: | مجلة كلية الطب |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://iqjmc.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/19JFacMedBaghdad36/article/view/246 |
| Summary: | Background: Breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women. In radiotherapy practice, it comprises 25% of patient caseload. This makes understanding the breast irradiation toxicities of prime importance. Early radiation toxicities occur during treatment and up to six months after treatment finished.
Objectives: assessment of the early side effects of adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) in breast cancer patients.
Patients and Methods: A cross sectional survey with analytic component conducted on 60 patients treated in the oncology teaching hospital of medical city from January to April 2016.
Results: The most prevalent toxicities were radiation dermatitis, fatigue, pain, sore throat, nausea, dysphagia, and arm edema. There was a significant difference between prevalence of dermatitis with different radiation doses used. Dermatitis was more prevalent with conventional fractionation (CF), than in hypofractionated radiotherapy.
Conclusion: Dermatitis was the most common acute toxicity of radiotherapy in breast cancer patients with prevalence of 81.6 %. It was related to dose fractionation. Fatigue was the 2nd common (70%). It was correlated with disease stage. |
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| ISSN: | 0041-9419 2410-8057 |